


Granny's Advice

by lzclotho



Series: SQ tumblr one-shots [14]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Anniversary, F/F, Prompt Fill, Relationship Advice, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 20:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2825456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lzclotho/pseuds/lzclotho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>whydidyoueatthat asked:<br/>Regina/Emma and they both go to Granny for relationship advice in secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Granny's Advice

**Author's Note:**

> This is not exactly to the prompt, but it’s in character for what makes sense to me about Regina and Emma. The story is a little more accidental advising rather than either intentionally seeking Granny out. But Gran definitely gets the credit in the end.

“Regina, something on your mind?” Granny looked over from the diner’s cash register as she closed out the drawer, preparing to move its contents to the safe. The former queen, no longer evil (unless she stiffed Ruby’s tip for cold coffee because Ruby had dallied too long talking with that librarian lady Belle French) looked up from where she sat staring at her long-empty mug.

The brown eyes swept Granny and then went on through her to some problem her mind nibbled.

“How are things with your boy, Henry?” Granny asked. Get her talking about Henry, the innkeeper knew, and Regina would blossom under anyone’s regard. She’d never really understand how they had continued to think of Regina as evil after the curse broke if they just had looked at how this woman agonized over that child.

“Henry’s fine. He’s started noticing girls,” Regina said, and she sounded both gratified and pained by that revelation.

“Had to happen eventually.” Granny pulled the tray of counted bills and stack of reconciled receipts and closed the drawer, turning a key to lock it shut, and dropping it in her sweater pocket. When Regina still hadn’t changed position by the time Granny moved to the back doorway to the inn, Granny said sagely, “But that’s not really what’s on your mind.”

Regina lifted her mug, snapped her fingers and relieved Granny of the burden of washing with a flick of her hand. The mug appeared, clean and dry in a rack by the front sink.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Regina started to her feet.

“Regina?”

The dark head turned, and brown eyes regarded her querulously.

“How are you and Emma doing?”

Alarm appeared for just a second in the woman’s widened pupils, but then Regina’s shoulders sagged. The diner was empty. The prickly woman’s matter would remain private. “It’s our six month anniversary tomorrow, and I have no idea how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“I want to plan something special, but I have no idea what she’d like to do.”

Granny raised an eyebrow at that. “Seems to me if you’ve lasted six months you know exactly what she likes. That one doesn’t stick around for nothing.”

“Her parents—”

Granny shook her head. “That girl loves her parents, very true. But she stays for Henry… and for you. She don’t much go in for how that happens, just that it happens.”

“She has become….a support for me. I know she’s struggling with her parents right now. I want to support her. She won’t let me.”

“You don’t need to take care of it,” Granny said. “Just keep being her stable place to come to when it all gets to be too much.”

Regina had started to pull out her keys to head for her car when Granny’s words made her stop in place, studying the nicks and grooves of the metal keys against her palm. “A stable place?” Regina murmured. She “woke” from her trance-like thoughts to stare at Granny flipping over the front door sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’. “You’re right.”

Quirking her lips, Granny knew Regina had gotten her point. “Of course I am.”

“You won’t say anything Emma, will you?”

"About what? I haven’t heard anything." Regina was grinning and it made Granny grin widely. “My lips are sealed,” she added and pantomimed, pressing her lips together, and turned an imaginary key.

“Thank you,” Regina whispered fiercely before rushing for the door.

“Glad to be of service,” Granny replied as the door slammed shut, shades jangling noisily in the follow up silence of Regina’s hasty departure.

 

###

 

“Emma, what are you doing here?” Granny was out back, toting the inn’s trash to the dumpster when she encountered Emma Swan, erstwhile savior, hurrying through the alley.

“I’m late!” Emma said. “Got held up at the station.”

“Late? What for?” Granny called after.

“Gotta see someone.” Emma, the darling with two left feet, had turned around to answer Granny and backed over a loose cobblestone. As she landed on her rear, she threw up her hands and slapped at the ground. “Damn.”

Granny dusted her hands and went to help Emma to her feet. “Now, you’re going to have to stop and explain.”

“I’m looking to move out of my parents’ place. It’s just getting too small, y’know?” Emma dusted at her jeans only to sigh as she encountered a rip in the thigh.

“Could’ve told you that last year,” Granny replied cheerfully.

“Regina tried,” Emma said. “I wasn’t really listening then.”

“And now?” Granny pried, just a little.

Emma looked at her watch and sighed, rolling her shoulders in defeat. “I had an appointment to look at an apartment.”

“Why not take a room at the inn?” Granny said.

“No offense,” Emma said and the tone was sincere, “but I wanted someplace that doesn’t have ears.”

“No ears? In  _this_  town?” Granny laughed. “Gossip powers this place better than the electricity plant.”

“Yeah, well, I was hoping… to have a visitor.” She hesitated. “From time to time.” She tried to shrug. “A little privacy.”

Granny smiled at that. “Where no one’s judging who you’re with,” she said.

“Yeah. I think it’d be important to Re—” Emma cut herself off. “To me. My own space, no saviors, no queens, just…me, uh, myself, and…”

“Emma, I think she’d like that,” Granny said, easing forward to place a calm hand on Emma’s shoulders.

Emma’s green eyes gleamed with hope. “Yeah? You think so?”

“Don’t you? Did something change recently?”

“I…Well, it’s our six month anniversary tomorrow, and I was thinking of jewelry—” Granny interrupted her with a snort. “Right? She can snap her fingers and have anything she wants.”

“All she wants is you,” Granny said.

“So, I thought…we hardly ever get any alone time.” She glanced away down the alley then back to Granny. “And this would be away from my parents — I know she’s getting along better with my mom, but…” She finished lamely, “Y’know?”

Granny grinned. “If all you want is alone time, send Henry to stay with his grandparents for the night.”

“But I want to say something more permanent.” Granny raised an eyebrow in surprise at hearing Emma say it flat out. “Yeah, I know, right? Me, ‘Miss run away from everything’ wants to prove to Regina Mills that I’m through running. She’s gonna take it all wrong.”

Granny shook her head. “She might not. You forget she knows you. Pretty well, from all appearances. Maybe she’s been thinking the same things.”

“What? About running away?”

“About not running away.” Granny shook her head. “I have to get back inside. Would you care for a coffee before you go?”

“No, I’m… I’m okay. Gotta go.” Emma started jogging. At the corner of the next building she stopped and turned back to Granny. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Emma.”

 

###

 

“Emma?” Regina opened the door to see Emma pacing on the stoop. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m leaving,” Emma blurted.

“What?!” Regina’s heart constricted sharply.

Emma shook her head and frowned. “Wait, no. I’m sorry, that came out wrong.”

“What else could you mean?”

“I’m leaving Snow and David.”

“What did the two idiots do now?” Regina felt furor on Emma’s behalf flood red hot behind her eyes.

Emma growled, widening Regina’s eyes. “They didn’t. I need. Space. It’s. Fuck. I. Regina. I need space.”

“So you’re leaving Storybrooke?” Regina’s heart popped into her throat.

“No, no, I’m just. Moving.” Emma exhaled. “Yeah, I’m moving.”

“Where?” Regina couldn’t help the demanding tone. It was the only way she could get words past the lump building in her throat.

“To an apartment?” Emma seemed to have caught on to Regina’s distress as she next asked, “I thought you’d be happy about this?”

“You moving away from your parents, yes. I’m ecstatic about that, but… where? And will this place have room for Henry? We are still sharing him, are we not?”

“It’s our six month anniversary tomorrow,” Emma said.

“I am aware.”

“I thought you might… move in with me?”

Regina’s eyes widened. “You want me to move in _with you_?”

Emma dropped her head and tucked her fingers in her jean pockets. “Too soon?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “It’s too soon, isn’t it?”

“No.”

“Yeah, I figu—”

“No, it’s not too soon.” Regina reached forward and grabbed Emma’s forearms, pulling her hands from her pockets and dragging her against the house post. “Damn you,” she said just before she pressed her body full length against Emma’s and claimed pink lips with a kiss.

When she breathed again, Emma asked, “What?”

“You gorgeous,  _Charming_ _idiot_ _!_  I am  _not_  upset, and it’s not too soon. I was planning to give you a key to the mansion tomorrow night after dinner!”

Emma’s hands fell to Regina’s waist. “Wait, what? You were what?”

“Now you’ve gone and made me spoil my surprise.”

Emma’s head dipped and Regina relished the lips soothing over the place where her throat met her shoulder. She tangled her fingers in golden hair.

“Forgive me?” Emma murmured, breath warm as her lips buzzed against Regina’s skin.

“Only if you tell me you haven’t signed a lease you can’t break.”

Emma nodded. “No deals with Rumplestiltskin,” she confirmed. “I was going to see the apartment for the first time today. But the landlord had already given up on waiting for me.”

“Well, all right then.” Regina eased back and cupped Emma’s chin. With Emma’s hands holding her steady at the waist, Regina reached into her pocket with her other hand and withdrew the key she’d had made at the hardware store on the way home. “It’s not romantic, I know, but I want you to have this. Mi casa es su casa.” She chuckled.

“But now I don’t have anything to give you for our anniversary,” Emma said.

“Move in, Emma. That’s all I need. I want this house to become  _our home_ ,” Regina said.

Emma wrapped her fingers around Regina’s cradling the key and squeezed a little. The blonde was shaking just slightly. Regina kept her eyes on Emma’s, smiling, willing her to believe that this could be it. Their happy ending.

“I’m glad Granny made me late,” Emma said, just before she leaned forward to press her lips gently to Regina’s.

 _Yay, Granny_ , Regina thought, sinking into the warm feeling of being in Emma’s arms.

###


End file.
